In coal gasification technology and practice, it is required to load coal into a high pressure reactor or gasifier, and the lock hoppers and slurry feed systems used heretofore for such purpose have many problems associated therewith. Notable among these problems is the inherent escape and loss of gas from the gasifier as a consequence of loading coal thereinto. What has been needed then is an alternate system or apparatus which, besides ancillary features, prevents the loss of gas while feeding, which uses high pressure process gas, and means which does not require a carrier fluid for the coal or like solids.